Curse of the Century
by INzaneTJ
Summary: A curse has run in the Julien bloodline and has now fallen upon Zane. Strange things start happening to him after a woman gives him a book on how to save himself. Will he be able to break the curse in time to save himself and the ninja from the torment that's worse than death or will he fall subject to his demise? Rated T for violence and sad stuff.
1. Chapter 1: A Rude Awakening

**Chapter 1**

**A Rude Awakening**

"Have you ever heard of 'Curse of the Century'?" Elaine turns to gaze in Zane's blue eyes that widen in fear, as well as recognition.

"How did you…" the ice ninja pauses for a moment, glancing at the girl sideways. "How did you know about it? It's a secret within my family."

"I…am of the Julien bloodline. I am your cousin, come to warn you of something terrible to come. You are under the curse as the only son of the late Dr. Julien, to go to sleep for one hundred years, never to awaken until then."

"I am?" Zane stares at her in disbelief, "How did you know?"

"I have researched about our traditions and I have found out the date of when it will take place, and how to prevent it."

"Do you mean I could avoid it?"

"Sleep to all is inevitable, yet you are not the same as the others who befell the curse," Elaine informs him, "I know how to save you, but it is a hard and dangerous process."

"Could I…die?" Zane asks hesitantly.

"Yes, you could; however, you are stronger than the other Julien sons and you have advantages."

"What advantages?"

"I know you are not human and that you are a ninja, so you should be able to endure it."

"Endure what?"

"The way to save yourself. There was one son, your great-grandfather, who was able to stop this from happening to him. He harmed his body to appeal to the curser, to be pitied upon."

"There is no curse," Zane says, "but perhaps there is someone who has been making it to be this way…someone who knows many in Ninjago are superstitious."

"I know you are a down-to-earth individual, yet I must forewarn you, do as there instructions tell you, or else you may lose your family," Elaine holds out a white book with silver letters on the front cover, "If you have the symptoms of this man's personal record in the beginning, then do something about this. If not, consider this a foolish superstition."

Zane reluctantly takes it from her frail hand, hiding his skeptic views, and thanks her before leaving the sunny park. On the way, he spots several children playing on swings and slides, all cheerful and full of the youthful happiness, without a care in the world. A little boy has a scraped knee and is being kissed on the cheek by his mother, while his father is putting a band-aid on his leg. Zane sighs deeply, feeling lonely without Dr. Julien being around to love him and to talk to. He never had a mother, and really wants one to hug when he feels upset.

When the ice ninja enters the bridge of the Bounty, everyone is absent, so he goes directly to his shared room and gets in his bed. He thinks to himself as he sets the book next to him, _this is absurd. _Curiously he opens the diary, merely to see what it's about.

_1__st __Day of the Curse_

_Dear Diary,_

_The 'Curse of the Century' has fallen upon my shoulders. I am determined to stop it, yet I fear the inevitable. Already I have been affected by the symptoms. During this morning, I have begun to feel a slight change in my appearance, which has been noted by my wife. My hair has thinned as if overnight and some of it is already falling out in clumps. My body is paler than yesterday and is thinner as well. I will go ahead and research my family history for now._

_Dr. Dean Julien_

_2__nd __Day of the Curse_

_Dear Diary,_

_More symptoms have arisen now. I have fallen ill with a fever and a scar has appeared on my right shoulder; some kind of laceration an inch deep in the skin. How it came to be, I know not, yet I do believe I am in deep trouble._

_Dr. Dean Julien_

_3__rd __Day of the Curse_

_I cannot write much, for my illness__es__ is taking its toll on my weak body. I have researched much about the curse and will discover how to save myself, hopefully in time. Every night, I hear footsteps creaking on the floorboards, yet when I search for their owner, I find nothing._

_4__th__ Day of the Curse_

_Dear Diary,_

_My illness has improved now. I have found out the solution, but __they, my family, has discovered what's wrong with me. This is going to have to be done discretely, on my own, yet this might not even work. I have discovered that my only solution is to gain pity on whoever cursed me by inflicting injuries on my body. I'm already barely able to walk now, so what do I have to lose?_

_Dr. Dean Julien._

Zane shuts the book, disgusted at the thought that someone believed cutting himself was a solution, and gets up, setting it under his bed as Lloyd enters the room.

"Hi Zane!" Lloyd greets him. "What's for dinner?"

"Cole's chili," Zane responds with a small smile.

"Oh. Then…do you want to eat out?" he asks.

"Go get ready. I'll be there in a minute, but keep this a secret," the ice ninja tells Lloyd. After the child leaves, he continues reading from the diary, just to find out what happens. Even if it's disturbing, it is certainly intriguing as well.

_5__th__ Day of the Curse_

_Dear Diary,_

_I have been keeping to myself lately, and my wife and eldest son have seemed to notice. I think my method is working, and this nightmarish week will be over soon. Last night, I heard a gong, but when I asked my family if they heard it this morning, they all denied it. I was the only one, even though my youngest daughter is a light sleeper._

_Dr. Dean Julien_

**A/N: What do you think? Please R&amp;R! :)**

**This is not slash! Hurting yourself is wrong. Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Silent Symptoms

Chapter 2

The Silent Symptoms

Zane sits at the dining able after an unsuccessful attempt with Lloyd to leave the Bounty and evade eating Cole's dinner, which has an unsavory reputation. The earth ninja smirks as he sets his plates of over-steaming chili in front of his brother's. "I heard you were avoiding having my dinner specialty," he says casually.

"Yeah. You're food is not even edible," Lloyd comments.

"We were hoping to leave without offending you," Zane tells him and picks up his spoon, getting a clump of the beans that are burnt and black. He sucks in a deep breath before putting it in his mouth and chewing hesitantly.

"How is it?" Cole asks as he takes his seat.

Zane swallows, a look of distain on his face, and responds, "Did you put…cayenne in this?"

"Uh, did I? I thought it was chili powder, but don't you like spicy food?"

"I do."

"Then why don't you like it?"

Kai and Jay exchange the 'like you can't tell' faces and Zane replies, "It's burnt and it tastes like you put sugar in it."

"I put salt."

"Did it have a label?" the ice ninja furrows his brows.

"No. It just had a pink piece of tape on it."

Nya face palms and says, "That was sweetener for coffee."

"Oops. Sorry guys," Cole apologizes.

"So…does anyone have any idea on how to obtain the next fang blade?" Kai asks as Zane gets out of his seat. "Zane, where you going?"

"I'm not that hungry and there's an intriguing book I'm reading that I want to finish," the ice ninja responds, leaving without another word.

"Okay…does anyone else think that's weird?" Jay comments after the stressed out Nindroid is gone.

"Nah, he's probably just excited about whatever book it is," Lloyd says before mouthing, "And he hates Cole's cooking."

"Lloyd Garmadon, what are you saying?" Cole asks rhetorically, gulping down a muthful of chili.

"Nothing."

"So…any ideas?" Kai asks, "Anyone?"

"Nope. I have no clue," Jay tells him.

_6th Day of the Curse_

_Something is wrong. Something is in my room. The night before, it came into the hallway, close to here, but now it is actually in here. I can sense it's evil presence, waiting for me, waiting for me to fall subject to its curse. I know I am close to stopping myself from sleeping for one hundred years, but this may be insufficient to stop me from sleeping a lengthy duration. It's going to come for me soon. I should have known from the night before the first day of the curse, for I dreamt of a creature, calling itself Gehenna, the Lake of Fire._

_Dr. Dean Julien_

When Zane comes across the last page it is stained brown with old blood, and seems to have been written quickly.

_7th Day of the Curse_

_It's here. It's going to take my life from me tonight. It said I will sleep, but he is appeased with my self-harm, and will grant an eighty-year leniency. I will sleep for twenty years instead…yet will any of my loved ones be alive then? It's coming. I can see its shadow. It's a Se_

_Twenty Years Post the Curse_

_I have awoken. My wife is no longer in this world and my sons died in an accident, leaving my daughter to mourn alone. She passed from sorrow, leaving me in a coma in a hospital to wake up…alone._

_With much grief,_

_Dr. Dean Julien_

Zane flips through the other pages, finding records of how different the world was to the man, but those held no interest to him. He slips the book under his bed and goes to sleep a little early, while the others were debating on whether or not to get their ice brother's opinion about the Serpentine issues that have arisen lately.

_Zane opens his eyes to find himself standing in the void, without a hint of light, but he finds he is in the midst of creatures. Their eyes begin glowing red and they chuckle in a chorus._

_"Zane Julien's Century is drawing nigh," a shadow speaks in a whisper, sending a chill down his spine._

_"Who are you?" the ice ninja demands._

_"I am Gehenna, the Lake of Fire."_

Zane opens his eyes and bumps his head on the top bunk, before realizing he was merely dreaming, and goes back to bed, ignoring his sixth sense that goes off.

The next morning, Zane gets up for his usual morning routine: getting his shurikens, brushing his teeth, showering, combing his blond hair, and going out to make breakfast. After the first two, while he is combing his hair, he notices the comb has lots of golden strands, even clumps in it. He thinks about last night, when he dreamt of that shadow that spoke in a whisper, much too like Dean's diary to be comforting. He dismisses the disturbing thoughts and goes to the kitchen to cook.

On the way, he bumps into Kai in the hallway. The fire ninja has already been up, but apparently slept late, considering his eyes is baggy and purple under the lids.

"Sup," Kai says.

"I'm going to make breakfast," Zane responds with a warm smile at the sight of his brother's messy hair and unconcerned appearance, "Did you get sufficient sleep?"

"Yeah, but did you? You're face is really pale," the red ninja notes.

_Another symptom. Don't absurd. It's merely that I woke up in the middle of the night, _Zane reassures himself before speaking matter-of-factly. "I had a dream that kept me up, that's all."

"Kay, see you later bro," Kai says before going to their shared room.

The ice ninja makes bacon, French toast, and sausage for breakfast; then heads to the Bridge after everyone has devoured the food, not having eaten much of Cole's "dinner".

"How's everything going, Nya?" Jay asks in a shy manner, turning a bit pink.

"Well, Zane's falcon has been searching for the Serpentine, but so far has not spotted anything," she responds before a red button on the massive screen of the main Bridge device appears; then three more.

"Looks like were going to have some company boys," Kai announces fist bumping Jay.

"Zane, Kai, Jay, and Cole, you know what to do," Nya tells us.

"See you later Nya," Jay turns to leave with the others, rushing to the edge of the Bounty, and taking out their golden weapons.

"So…whoever gets their mission done last is a rotten ninja!" Kai announces before everyone leaps off the edge of the ship.

Zane, all the while, keeps very quiet, not noticing much but his goal: save the people, find the fang blades. While mid-air, he begins to think about the recent events, before readying his Shurikens of Ice. Something catches his eye. Red words appear on his left arm, saying something quite disturbing:

_The Curse of the Century Has Befallen You_


	3. Chapter 3: All of Everything

Chapter 3

All of Everything

**A/N: Just so everyone knows, this takes place between episodes 10 and 11, The Green Ninja, and All of Nothing.**

"Zane, get your vehicle up, now!" Jay shouts, snapping the ice ninja out of his trance.

Zane concentrates, putting his weapons together, and converts them into his snow mobile moments before hitting the road by The Mountain of a Million Steps. "See you guys!" Jay laughs through the vehicle communicator before flying off to the left.

"Rotten ninja!" Kai shouts at Cole and drives to the right of the mountain.

The earth ninja drives away, also to the right, leaving Zane to take care of the emergency here. All he does at the moment is turn his vehicle back into his weapons, put them in his holster, and stare with wide, icy blue eyes at his arm, repeating the words aloud, "The Curse of the Century has befallen you." The words disappear suddenly, and the ice ninja gazes at the mountain. _I should have had Cole take this one._

* * *

"Jay, you are jus so manly!" the lightning ninja talks to himself cheerily while flying to Jamanukai village where the Serpentine were attacking. "Ha. Thanks Nya. Oh, Jay, quit daydreaming."

He spots his destination and quickly lands, converting his Jet into his nunchucks, meeting the Fangpyre General and his tribe, and rolls his blue eyes, muttering, "I hate snakes, but at least they're fun to beat up."

"The ninja!" Fangtom exclaims, pointing at the lightning ninja, "Attack!"

"Ninja go!" Jay whips into his electrical tornado, whooping the snake's butts in mere seconds, only a small group having even come. "Ha! Like you can do anything to me!" he brags, not knowing his mission is the second to the easiest.

* * *

"Hey guys," Kai taps two Hypnobrai's backs and lights his sword on fire, frightening the two away. He doubles over, laughing hard enough to nearly singe his spiky hair. "Ha ha ha! Did you guys see that?" _Oh, duh. I'm the only ninja here._

"Hello, fire starter," Scales greets Kai and whacks his face with his staff.

The fire ninja spits a bit of blood on the dirt on the bank floor in Ninjago city, before responding, "Nice to see you too, Scales."

* * *

"Um…where are the Serpentine?" Cole inquires of a group of passerby teenage girls.

"What Serpentine?" a blond girl asks.

"I haven't seen any," a brunette comments, "Hey, you one of the ninja?"

"Yeah," Cole responds, secretly chuckling, _I guess I do have fan girls._

"My name's Mariah," the blond introduces herself. "Could you give my number to-"

"Course sweetie," the earth ninja takes the piece of paper.

"Thank you! I hope Kai will call me!" she squeals, turning bright red.

"Could you give my number to Zane then?" the brunette and redhead girls ask in unison.

Cole feels a bit crushed, but manages to say, "Sure."

* * *

Zane keeps telling himself, _just a few more feet and I'll be up. Just a few more feet and then I can stop the Serpentine._

He hoists himself up the edge of the mountain, and stands with his hands on his knees, catching his breath. The ground is wet and the sky is overcast from the recent, rainy weather, and makes everything gloomy, as well as more dangerous, considering the fact that one little slip and kaput! You're dead. Zane pulls his hood down and crawls to the edge, army-like; then peers in the dimly lit Serpentine tomb. From his view all he can see is a rope dangling close to the bottom that is tied around a boulder next to him.

He grabs it and slides all the way down, and glances around. _No Serpentine. _Suddenly, his sixth sense goes off, warning him he's not alone, and Zane immediately pulls out his shurikens, watching, waiting for whoever's in here. Glowing eyes appear, drawing near, and Venomari bodies reveal themselves.

_It's ten to one_, the ice ninja notes, scanning the snakes' skills, which are sub-par. Zane throws his ninja stars at the General who blocks them. The shurikens come back to their owner. Zane holds them together, closing his eyes and when he reopens them, they turn a pale icy color. His body glows the same color, becoming transparent, and he lifts off the ground, blasting a thick wall of ice from his chest. He freezes the snakes and drops on the ground, before getting up and grabbing the rope. Before he can move, more Serpentine come out, twenty, ten each from the Constrictai and Venomari tribes.

"Get him!" Skalidor shouts and Zane scans their abilities again, but the results are that these are more skilled. Without the others he doesn't stand much of a chance, and he quickly tighten his grip, swinging the rope until his feet hit the rocky wall. He ninja walks up it, and is almost at the top when his right foot slips on the mud.

Zane glances below as a spear hurdles through the air, hitting the wall an inch or two above his head. More weapons are being thrown at him and he glances at his left arm as he keeps climbing. More words appear on his white sleeve, different than last time:

_Let go of the Rope_

A blade at that moment slices through the rope and Zane drops mid-air, landing on the tombstone on his back. Pain shoots up through him and he's certain he heard something crack. "Bind him!" Skalidor orders and two of his snakes grab Zane's arms as the Nindroid struggles to get away.

"Let go of me!" the ice ninja kicks the Constrictai to his left and steps on his tail. It lets go and Zane punches the other before several more snakes grab him, trying to keep him under control.

* * *

"Hey, were pretty fast at kicking Serpentine butts," Jay laughs as Cole meets him at the village.

"Uh, yeah, except that I went on a false alarm mission," the earth ninja says.

"Heard anything from Zane and Kai?" Jay asks.

"No. I'll call Kai and you call Zane on the communicators." Nya and Jay had built earpieces that were used to contact each other from anywhere in Ninjago. Cole presses on the red number two button and says, "Kai, are you there?"

"I'm a little busy here!" the fire ninja responds.

"Sorry! Need any help?"

"Actually, I do."

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the Ninjago city bank."

Jay presses the white button for Zane and lets it ring five times before the call is accepted. "Hello? Zane, it's me Jay. You doing okay?"

* * *

"Did you think you could escape me, ninja?" Skalidor grabs Zane's chin and tilts him so they are face to face. "Not too strong without the other three to back you up, huh."

The ice ninja stares at the snake with cold eyes, not responding at all, just waiting for something, something he didn't know. A shadow appears with red eyes, drowning out Skalidor's insults with his soft, ominous voice. "Just try to stop me from cursing you. Even if I let you off somewhat, you must first believe I exist, as Gehenna, your nightmare."

Though Zane cannot see the shadow, he can feel its presence and a black hand, shrouded in a dark mist touches him. Zane flinches. A laceration appears on his arm it drawing artificial blood, yet the Serpentine don't seem to notice and Skalidor's scaly lips are sill moving.

The shadow disappears and the voices of the snakes return. Zane notices his earpiece is ringing and Skalidor takes it out, pressing the answer button. "Hello? Zane, it's me Jay. You doing okay?"


	4. Chapter 4: The Cursed Illness

Chapter 4

The Cursed Illness

"Today must me the worst Serpentine fighting day ever!" Kai exclaims while catching three Hypnobrai on fire with his sword.

They yelp, running away as more advance, brandishing swords and spears and surround the fire ninja. "Give up!" Scales says, pointing his staff at Kai.

"No way!" the red ninja retorts, thrusting his fiery blade at the general's throat.

"Wait! Nobody move!" the snake general drops his staff and holds his hands up in a defensive posture.

Everyone stares, waiting tensely for something to happen, but nothing does for two anxious minutes. Kai gazes into Scales red eyes, suddenly finding them prominent, beautiful, the only thing in his sight…and mind. _It's lovely. It wants me to destroy the other ninja and I will do anything for it, just as long as I can see those eyes._

Kai starts to waver, his flames on the sword extinguishing and he drops the weapon. "I will…not do…what you…want."

"You will follow my every command," Scales says, white circles emanating from his eyes into the fire ninja's brown ones, which become the same.

"I will obey your every command," Kai bows before turning to see Cole enter the bank.

"There you are!" he exclaims, drawing his scythe but stops in his tracks once he sees his brother growling at him with Hypnobrai eyes.

* * *

"Please be okay Zane. Please be okay," Jay keeps saying aloud as he flies to the mountainside, preparing to land.

**Flashback**

_"__Hello? Zane, it's me Jay. You doing okay?"_

_"__Is this Jay Walker?" a familiar voice comes over the device, but it doesn't belong to his brother._

_"__Yeah, and who are you and why do you have Zane's earpiece?"_

_"__Quite the inquisitive ninja aren't you? I am Skalidor and I have Zane Julien with me. You might want to come to The Mountain of a Million Steps, or else you might not see him again."_

_"__No!" Zane screams in the background, "Jay, don't come alone!"_

_The device hangs up and Jay looks at Cole concerned. "It was the Constrictai general. He has Zane."_

_The earth ninja nods his head calmly before saying, "Kai's not doing the best either so we'll split up."_

_"__Okay!" Jay responds._

**End of Flashback**

"Hang on frosty. I'm coming to get you," Jay tells himself before converting his jet into his nunchucks, landing and nearly slipping off the mountainside from the wet mud. "Woah! That was close."

Down in the cave, Zane and the Serpentine holding him are hearing the lightning ninja's most prominent ruckus. "Is he always that loud?" the Venomari General asks.

"That's Jay for you," Zane responds. "It's the others you won't know about if they come."

"Oh, that's a slippery rope over here!" Jay's voice echoes throughout the cave, and the ice ninja rolls his eyes.

"Does he have to be so obvious?" Zane mutters. "He's a ninja for goodness sake."

Skalidor snatches the Nindroid by his hair, only to have a clump come off, much to his surprise. "What's wrong with your hair?" he says, taken aback.

Zane stares at him in confusion, but red words appear like fresh blood on his gi:

_I am cursed by a shadow named Gehenna who resides in the lake of fire._

"Let go of him! Get him out of here!" the general's scream at the same moment, while the ice ninja's eyes become bloodshot, hungry, purely evil. The Serpentine release Zane, who is not even aware of what he looks like, and Jay slides down the rope.

"Ready to-" Jay's face pales when he sees his brother, and the lightning ninja passes out into Zane's arms.

"This is not going over so well!" Cole comments as Kai hits him again with the Serpentine staff. "Ouch! Seriously!"

"I knew it would work!" Scales boasts, "Just wait until the other two show up and things get interesting."

"Like heck!" Cole shouts, driving his scythe into the floor, and cracks it, making everyone else fall. "Oh, dang it. Now I'm going to have to fix the floor."

He grabs the staff Kai had dropped and pulls out the gem from it, pocketing it in his gi before resuming the fight. After about five more minutes of the hassle, Zane enters the bank, setting an unconscious Jay on the ground.

"Ah!" some of the snakes screamed.

"What is that?" Scales yelps, pointing wildly at the ice ninja in terror.

"It looks like the white ninja," one of the snakes notes.

Scales squints his eyes as a new message appears on Zane's forehead.

_All who try to harm the cursed one shall be cursed as well._

Zane throws his shurikens at the terrified general, pinning him to the wall. "No, don't curse me!" Scales screams, trying to get away.

"Curse him?" Cole raises an eyebrow before catching a glimpse of his brother's face. The earth ninja drops his scythe, mouth agape, and merely stares in disbelief.


	5. Chapter 5: Prominence

**Chapter 5**

**Prominence**

**Thank you all for the reviews! :D This is when the creepier stuff starts.**

"Zane, what's wrong with you?" Cole stares at his brother with saucer eyes.

"I fell," the ice ninja responds, walking slowly towards the terrified general.

"No, I meant the words on your forehead and gi."

"Words?" Zane glances down at his clothes, but the message disappears before he can see it. "We're you poisoned by the Venomari?"

"Are you implying I was hallucinating?" the earth ninja crosses his arms, but uncrosses them and pales.

Zane doesn't notice and comes up to Scales, who is trembling. "Please, just go! Get away from me!"

Blood appears at the corners of the ice ninja's eyes, and the snake screams, striving to wrench the shurikens off. "Take your Serpentine with you and leave us," Zane tells him, pulling the ninja stars out of the wall. The blood starts running down his face, yet he still doesn't notice as Scales and his tribe take off as hastily as possible.

Zane looks back at Cole, noting his brother's pale face and that Kai is merely standing motionless. "What's the matter?"

"You're crying…blood," the earth ninja gasps.

"Blood?" Zane wipes his face and gazes at his hand, to realize it is true and says a little too quickly, "I'll call Nya and have her pick us up."

**Ten Minutes Later**

"It's about time!" Kai exclaims, putting Jay on his back and getting onto the Bounty with Zane and Cole behind him. The ice ninja had found some water to put the staff anti venom in, and saved him from the hypnotizing.

Zane decides he better walk in the rear of the others so he can slip into the bathroom and wash his face, but once he is on the deck, Garmadon comes up behind him and says, "I smell blood. Who is it from?"

Zane makes an "I'm busted" face before turning around and wiping his eyes as another stream of red comes down. "Why are you crying blood?" Nya asks.

The ice ninja cannot think of any "explanation" that would get him out of this as the realization of curse hits him like a brick wall. He darts away to the bathroom, ignoring the others calling him, and quickly shuts and bolts the door just as Kai tries to open it. "Zane, what's the matter? Open the door!" the fire ninja bangs on it. "Open the door!"

"What's going on?" Sensei Wu's voice comes right outside.

"Zane locked the door and won't come out!"

The ice ninja backs away into a corner, expecting the door to be broken by Cole at any moment. "We know you're in there. Please, if there's something wrong with you, tell us," Lloyd's little voice pleads and he starts sniffling.

"Leave him alone. He needs time to himself," Sensei tells the others and footsteps recede and soon there is no one apparently.

Zane slumps on the floor, hugging his legs to his chest and lets silent, red tears flow for a while. _Elaine was right. I'm cursed, and I'm going to sleep for one hundred years. No, I can gain pity…from Gehenna. I better take my shirt off first, so I don't get blood on it. _Zane gets up and looks in the medicine cabinet for something sharp, and only finds a pair of small scissors, presumably for Sensei's mustache.

He removes the top of his white gi; then he sits on the white, tile floor in front of the sink and unscrews the scissors at the middle; then pulls the sharp pieces apart. He sets the blunter one on the floor on top of his shirt, and puts the other one against his right arm, hesitating. _This is silly. _He debates on whether or not to do it, yet his sixth sense tells him it's wrong.

_"__Do it," Gehenna's voice speaks in his head, "Do you want to sleep for one hundred years?"_

Zane stares at the blade, still uncertain if this is wise, but what other choice does he have? He sucks in a deep breath for comfort's sake, and runs it across his flesh, drawing lots of blood that must have been from the wrong spot. He grabs a box of tissue paper and holds several of them against the wound, gritting his teeth in pain.

* * *

"Why is Zane crying blood?" Lloyd asks, tears in his green eyes as he clutches Kai's arm, trembling.

"I…don't know," Sensei Wu responds.

"What?" the others gasp in unison.

Jay had just woken up and overheard what he said and exclaimed, "You're Sensei! You always know! You have a long, white beard!"

"Should I go check on him?" Kai asks, "After all, we've always been like close siblings."

"Go ahead and try, sis," Nya tells him.

Kai ambles quietly through the Bounty, from the Bridge to the bathroom next to the boy's room, and softly knocks on the door. "Zane, are you still in there?" No response. _He could be ignoring me so I might as well give it a shot. _"Zane, I just wanted to tell you…I don't know what's wrong with you, but you can't hide it forever. We love you, and if you need to tell us something…don't hesitate. If something happens to you and we find out you lied, don't know how devastated we would be? Zane, please be okay."

On the other side of the door, the ice ninja had just finished tying a bandage on his arm when the fire ninja came and now cannot decide on whether or not to tell him. He gets up, wincing from the pain, and unlocks the door, opening it gently, hoping the others don't hear him. "Kai," Zane says, "I need to speak with you…alone." His eyes tear up red, but he holds it in and walks to his room with his brother trailing behind silently, fearing the worst.

Zane shuts the door behind them and turns to Kai. "I know you may not believe me, but…I'm…cursed."


	6. Chapter 6: Diagnosis

Chapter 6

Diagnosis

"Uh…let me get this straight," Kai raises an eyebrow skeptically, "You're telling me you're crying _blood _mind you, and having issues because of a curse?"

"I felt the same way as you do now, but I've been having the same symptoms my great-grandfather had recorded in his personal diary, yet far worse than he. My hair has been falling out and someone calling himself Gehenna has been speaking in my mind."

_Is he short-circuiting? _"What does this guy look like?"

"I…don't know."

"Don't know?"

"I've only seen his shadow…and his red eyes. They bore into my mind, and I cannot stop it from going after me."

"Zane, are you sure you actually saw what you think you did?" Kai asks.

"I'm certain I did. He was real, because he did this to me," the ice ninja pulls up his sleeve, grimacing in pain and shows his brother the laceration on his arm.

"How?" Kai gasps, touching his shoulder, "What's the other one for?"

"I saw a dark hand touch me and before…" Zane's blue eyes widen and he pulls away, backing against the wall without another word.

"What is it?" Kai asks anxiously, starting to think his brother's lost his marbles.

"It's behind you," Zane says, sinking on the floor and curling into a fetal position, as a shadow expands, its eyes glowing with delight as it watched the ice ninja in torment.

"Zane, what-" Kai whirls around to see the shadow, and it starts laughing, clamping a hand on the fire ninja's mouth.

Kai tries to pull away and use Spinjitzu, but it holds him tightly, not letting go. "Leave the cursed one alone or else you will suffer the consequences," Gehenna whispers and dissipates like a cloud, dropping the astonished red ninja.

Kai walks over with a pale face to Zane and gently shakes him. "He's gone."

"Hey, are you guys inside?" Jay's voice echoes throughout the Bounty, immediately alerting the two ninja.

Zane gets up and pleads with Kai, "Please, don't tell the others. It must be kept a secret or else I cannot break the curse."

"Okay, but promise me you'll tell me more later…so I can help you."

"I promise."

"Now how do we explain what happened?" Kai asks while the ice ninja rolls his sleeve down painfully.

"Tell them it was a prank between us, I suppose," Zane suggest, not looking forward to it.

"They are not going to like that."

"I know…but what other excuse can you come up with?"

"What excuse?" Jay, Lloyd, and Cole ask as they enter the room, with their arms crossed.

"N-nothing," Kai stutters.

"Oh really?" Jay says, not believing him in the slightest degree.

"Fine, you got us," Zane bluffs hanging his head down, "Kai and I had make a joke on you guys."

"What!" Lloyd exclaims.

"You…you…you better not do that again!" Jay screams and shoves Zane against the wall.

"Why did you think this was funny?" Cole says, holding in his fumes, "We thought there was something terribly wrong with you!"

Zane merely focuses on hiding the pain he's in and feels blood soaking his bandage. _What do I do? I need to get out of here now. _"I'm sorry."

"Don't ever do that to us again!" Lloyd cries, pushing Jay out of the way and hugging Zane. "I was so worried!" he buries his head in his brother and sobs.

The ice ninja feels guilty, the green ninja being only a child, after all. "I'm sorry. I won't ever do it again," Zane pats the boy's blond head, holding back bloody tears, and striving to control his breathing rate.

"Well, let's go. You better wait, actually, and we'll tell Sensei," Jay says, walking off with Lloyd and Cole, mumbling. "I bet he's going to be furious."

When Zane and Kai are alone once again, the former shuts the door and asks, "Could you get me the first-aid kit? I'm bleeding badly."

Both look at Zane's arm, which is dripping with blood and covered in red. That was a little too close for comfort and Kai responds, "Wait right here."

He steps outside of the room, making sure the door is shut before entering the bathroom and getting the white box. Once he leaves the bathroom, he bumps into Nya and she sees what he has before he can react. "Why do you have that?"

_Oh no. _Kai swallows.


	7. Chapter 7: Too Many Lies

Chapter 7

Too Many Lies

"Um…" Kai's mind races to find an "explanation" for the first-aid kit and comes up with an okay one that _might _fool his sister, "Zane...got hurt when he was fighting the snakes so I'm bringing this for him.

That was partially true anyway and Nya says, eyeing her brother, "I heard while the boys passed by about your little prank. Why did you guys do that?"

_Oh please just let me go! Zane's waiting for me! _"We wanted to see if we could prank crying blood."

"You two did a great job, but seriously," she punches the fire ninja's arm, "don't ever do that to me again. I thought he was going to…let me come with you and help him."

_Dang it Nya! _"I don't think it's such a good idea. After all, he did get some nasty injuries."

She crosses her arms and gives her brother that 'are you kidding me' look and responds, "Have I ever been afraid of anything like that?"

"No but-"

"Kai, come on."

"No, I can handle it, and besides, he…uh…Jay might uh…get…you know."

"Jealous? Come on! He's not going to get that way for me helping Zane with his injuries!" Nya pushes past her brother before he can do anything and opens the door, with Kai following anxiously behind, certain they are busted, already. She gasps, seeing the ice ninja standing in the far corner, holding an arm with blood running down his sleeve and dripping on the floor.

"Zane, you're bleeding terribly!" Nya exclaims, "How did this happen to you?"

"I…fell," the ice ninja responds.

"Let me see your wound," she says, reaching for his arm, but the Nindroid pulls away from her.

"I'd rather you didn't," Zane tells her without looking her in the eye.

"O-okay…I'm leaving," Nya walks hurriedly out of the room with Kai shutting the door behind her.

"Hey, Nya," Kai calls her.

"Yeah what is it?"

"Don't tell the others about his wound, okay? He doesn't want to worry them."

"Okay."

After she's gone, both breathe sighs of relief. "Boy that was close!" Kai exclaims.

"Too close," Zane comments and slumps to the floor again, wincing in pain.

"You okay?" Kai rushes up to his brother and sets the white kit on the floor; then rummages through its contents. "You have a spare gi?" Zane nods. "Okay, well we're going to need it because I'm going to have to cut the sleeve off this one."

Kai picks up a pair of scissors and cuts the sleeve off, showing a fresh, nasty, blood-covered gash. "That's pretty deep. I forgot to ask you where you got the big wound from."

"The rules," Zane responds.

After about ten minutes or more, the duo cleaned up the mess and Kai's taken care of Zane's wound, after hearing a rather disturbing explanation. Zane was able to convince his brother of letting him do what he was doing until the curse was determined, but the fire ninja was extremely reluctant. They ambled into the bridge, expecting a severe scolding from Sensei, but when they entered, everyone was surprisingly quiet.

"Zane, Kai," Sensei Wu says.

"Yes Sensei?" the two respond.

"I've decided you both need a break from training. We're going to station ourselves at Ninjago city, for the rest of the remaining week."

Both ninja exchange glances before Zane looks at Nya. She mouths the word 'no' and Kai asks, "How come?"

"We five have had a very difficult time this month with all of the Serpentine activity, so you need time off of training. Training, mind you, not protecting Ninjago," Jay notifies them.

"Oh," Kai says.

"Thank you Sensei," Zane bows slightly, careful not to cause more pain in his arm.

The room suddenly is awkwardly quiet again, with everyone merely staring at each other, until Jay-of course-finally breaks it. "So…are we almost there?"

**At the Hotel**

"Jay, hurry up and get the door open please," Cole taps his foot on the floor impatiently, waiting for the lightning ninja to find the card.

"Yeah, you've been taking forever," Lloyd complains.

"Hang on. I found it," Jay pulls out a card from his backpack and swipes it in the slot. The door beeps, the button flashing green and Kai opens the door for the others.

"I get dibs on the front room with only two people!" Jay shouts, throwing his hands in the air.

"Sure, go ahead," Zane says, "Let me remind you though that the front one has three beds, not the back one."

"Oh."

"I'll go in the back one with Zane," Kai volunteers right before a now disappointed Lloyd.

"Okay. See you later!" Cole calls as the ice and fire ninja's head to their room while Jay and Lloyd turn on the television.

"Thank you, Kai," Zane smiles as they enter their room, the place being plain and uninteresting, having white walls and bed covers, the usual things you will find in the average, decent hotel.

"No problem."

After the two settle in their beds, everything is quiet, except for the TV and Jay and Lloyd cheering for 'Prince Donnigen'; then watching 'Stone Cold'* based on the comics. Zane sleeps quite soundly, until a gong sound in the room, and Asian drums beating softly, slowly becoming louder every moment, wakes him up.

"What?" he begins to say, but his heart freezes. _The gongs were in Dean's diary. It's coming for me. _Zane sits up pulling his legs to his chest, trembling in utter terror as footsteps come in the room. "Kai, wake up!" he calls.

"W-what's going-Gehenna!" the fire ninja leaps up, about to grab his sword when his brother stops him.

"No, Kai. Wait," Zane tells him.

"You have reduced your curse time by twenty years," a woman's voice notifies him, sounding quite lovely, yet blood-chilling at the same moment. "Now feel the illness take over you and keep inflicting pain in yourself."

"You monster," Kai leaps at what is now a shadow with purple eyes, but is held back by Zane, physically this time.

"No. Don't," Zane says.

"The shadow chuckles an earthly sound. "You should listen to your wise ice friend."

***Stone Cold is a Ninjago comic book.**


	8. Chapter 8: Two Hooped Ninja

Chapter 8

Two Hooped Ninja

"Why do you have to hurt Zane, of all individuals?" Kai demands, the ice ninja's grip on him tightening.

"He must pay the consequences of his ancestor's foolishness!" she laughs before her shadow dissipates, leaving the two alone, both deep in his own thoughts.

"Zane…what's going to happen to you?" Kai is the first one to break the uncanny silence.

"I was cursed to sleep for one hundred years, but now it's been reduced to…eighty," Zane responds thoughtfully. "That's it. That's how I reduce the sentence."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can reduce the sentence by twenty years per self-inflicted injuriy."

"Zane, no. You are not going to cut yourself. I won't allow it."

"But…Kai. What else can I do?"

"Something, but not hurting yourself, please. If you do, I will physically tie you up and hide you from the others until the other six days have gone by."

At this, both glance at the door, noticing the television is off and someone is snoring loudly in the other room. "We better go to sleep," Kai says.

Zane nods and notifies his brother. "I'm going to check on my wound."

"Did you bring an extra gi?"

"Yes," Zane responds as he opens the bathroom door and closes it behind him.

Kai goes to sleep, not realizing what his brother is doing in the other room.

**5:30 A.M.**

"What are you doing up so early?" Lloyd asks, rubbing the sleep out of his green eyes.

"I'm going for a walk," Zane responds barely above a whisper so as not to awaken the others.

"Oh, where's Nya?" the green ninja looks up at the ice ninja and grabs his arm lightly.

"At the Bounty with Sensei," Zane tells him after drawing in a shaky breath from the pain in his arm and from somewhere else.

"May I come with you to walk?" Lloyd requests.

"Um…would you prefer going down to eat first, or going back to bed? It's quite early."

"Okay, I'll go down and eat, but what about the others?"

Zane sets a yellow piece of notepaper on the television, and says, "We can leave a note, can't we?"

Lloyd smiles and opens the door, tugging at Zane's sleeve. "Come on! Let's go then!"

"Hang on. Don't go so quickly and not so loud. People are still sleeping," the ice ninja quietly reprimands the boy before taking the child's hand and ambling down the hall.

Once the two reach the elevator, Zane presses the down button, them being on floor ten. After waiting for about two minutes, the doors make a dinging noise and slide back, revealing an elderly Taiwanese couple holding hands. When Zane and Lloyd enter, they move to the right to make room, and the ice ninja asks, "Which floor?"

"One," the man says with a slight accent.

Zane presses the button and the doors close; then the elevator begins its somewhat lengthy decent. "Is that little boy your son?" the woman asks Zane, pointing to Lloyd.

"No, he's not," the ice ninja responds, smiling at the strange thought. _Do we look related?_

Lloyd giggles and knocks into Zane, causing intense pain in his brother. The Nindroid doubles over, holding a hand against his left side, and gasps for air, feeling a sudden wave of weakness, and he leans against the metal railing for support. "You okay?" Lloyd asks a little concerned now.

"Y-yes…just…give me…a minute," Zane gasps, wincing.

"O-okay. We're almost there."

After thirty seconds, the elevator stops and the doors slide open and the Asian man leaves, looking a bit disturbed, but the woman remains where she is. Lloyd sticks his foot in front of the door so it won't close and says, "Whenever you're ready."

Zane glances at the woman, but finds Elaine in front of him instead, wearing all black, yet before he can utter a word, her eyes glow purple, and she says, "Today we're having a new rule. Run to your room and if you make it, I will reduce it by ten. I'll give you a head start, since you have a kid with you."

"By ten? What does that mean?" Lloyd asks, latching onto Zane's arm in fear.

"Just run up the stairs," Zane tells him and both dart out of the elevator, because waitng for another one wasn't an option for delay reasons. Zane opens the stair door, letting Lloyd in before shutting and locking it. _How long is this head start, I wonder?_

His legs feel like they'll give way soon, and he remembers Dean Julien's diary, mentioning an illness on the second day. _No…I need to at least make sure the chosen one is safe. _Zane feels a sudden burst of adrenaline and passes Lloyd, quickly grabbing the child; then puts him on him, piggyback style.

They've only passed two flights of the grey stairs before the door creaks open. Footsteps. Two sets of footsteps are below the two, advancing rapidly. "Zane, we are so hooped!" Lloyd exclaims.


	9. Chapter 9: A Deep Sleep

Chapter 9

A Deep Sleep

"What are we going to do?" Lloyd asks, frantically glancing back and forth between the top of the fourth flight and the flight below, where two black clouds in the forms of humans are running, quite rapidly.

"Can you use Spinjitzu on narrow spaces?" Zane questions the boy, his sweaty hand slipping against the railing as he strains to push up.

"I think so."

"Good, because you need to keep moving, no matter what," Zane says and lifts Lloyd off his back; then sets the green ninja on the railing. The ice ninja jumps on it as well and both whip into their tornados, reaching the tenth floor in mere seconds. "Back to the room!" Zane shouts.

"I forgot the number!" Lloyd exclaims as they stop the Spinjizt and Zane opens the door to exit.

"1017," the ice ninja responds, letting the chosen one through first; then shutting the door behind him. Both ninja race down the hallway as a blast goes throughout the stairs, and a green light flashes.

"They're coming! Help us! Open the door!" Lloyd screams, running as fast as his little legs can go as Zane suddenly stops. He turns around, realizing something is wrong with these shadows. The wisps of black cloud only appear on certain places, around…air vents.

"Zane, why aren't you following?" Lloyd calls from the front of the room, while banging on the door.

"It's not a curse…it's not a curse…" Zane says aloud.

"Catch!" Kai shouts, throwing Zane's shurikens to the ice ninja. Zane catches them, and puts both together, forming a frosty mist that covers his body, while the black ones stop about ten feet away from him, covering their bodies with black mist.

"Nobody come closer!" Zane tells the others, pulling his shurikens apart; a blast of ice shooting from his chest as his body slowly rises in the air.

The evil twosome match him, doing the same thing with silver shurikens, covering themselves in darkness, and shooting black matter at the Nindroid. "What's going on?" Kai demands.

"How about the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Jay exclaims, jumping up and down like a little kid.

All three other ninja slap his head in unison as Zane's eyes glow icy blue with a sort of chill that penetrates all warmth, making the other ninja and people poking their sleepy heads out of their doors shiver. The two evil ones likewise throw their power in at the same moment, darkening the room until only the two cloud's and Zane's eyes are visible. By now the civilians are trying to escape, and the other ninja are attempting to keep them under control.

"You will not defeat us!" Elaine screams, her body lighting up purple, and Gehenna's red.

Zane's matches theirs equally in blue, emitting a rather comforting light, but…the darkness is too strong. It penetrates the light, and Zane's glow starts to diminish. "Zane needs our help!" Kai shouts over the clamor, and his sword starts to burn red and orange, looking exactly like the ice ninja's, yet a different element and vibe, of course.

The other three glow their elements as well, and shoot their powers at Zane, to give him power. The Nindroid absorbs it all and his body becomes multicolored, pulsing with vibrant shades, showing life in various forms. "You've fallen straight into your demise, robot!" Gehenna laughs as both he and Elaine vanish, and Zane drops to the ground. The colors fade away, and the other ninja rush up to his prostrate form.

"Zane!" they scream in unison as the light returns and the black wisps dissapate.

Kai and Cole roll their brother over, and tears stream down Lloyd's face, as he asks, "He will be okay, won't he? He'll be fine right?"

"This is odd…" Jay points at Zane's chest, which is glowing blue, his energy source.

"Open it," Cole says.

Jay slowly opens up Zane's chest, and surveys it quickly, seeing nothing out of place, at all. "It's…normal."

"That can't be," Kai shoves the lightning ninja out of the way.

"Zane…please wake up," Lloyd tugs at the ice ninja's sleeve, crying a river.

"Now…what?" Kai gasps, staring at Jay and Cole.

**Ten Years Later**

Cold. Everything is cold, and quiet. Not a soul can be sensed, not a small insect is near. No one is here, and no will come…ever, to find the body of a loved one, nor to join them. Nothing. The only things to be seen and sensed are bodies, dead bodies, rotting bodies, remains of the dear ones long forgotten, abandoned, left to turn into bones, and someday…dust.

In front of the desolate place, lying face upwards, in a deep sleep lay a white form, old, rusted, neglected for years, but on it is a wonderful face, a soft face, a calm face, a face filled with love…as well as sorrow.

A little boy in green stumbles over a pile of bones, he himself only being skin on top of his skeletal structure. He stares at the sleeping figure, seeing someone he had not seen for so long…that the tears have gone dry. He no longer feels the love he once knew so well, his older brother being so warm that he now knows no reason to live. The boy gets on both knees in front of the body and whispers in his ear, "It's me Zane. I miss you, and I'll see you soon." He runs his small, left hand through the ratty, fake hair, that used to be blond, that is now covered in dirt that it looks more ashen, more death-like.


	10. Chapter 10: Awaken to a Dead World

Chapter 10

Awaken to a Dead World

Lloyd curls up next to Zane's body, waiting, hoping to die by a Laceator, or some other creature to devour him. After all, death to him is now the only thing beautiful in this dead world of loss and…despair. He has the other ninja who love him too…but he was closer to Zane than any of them, and found the ice ninja the one who would always have been there for him. Certainly they would understand. When the Devourer won and demolished the city, people hid underground, yet that was no better…in fact, it was far worse than death itself.

He had already found the ones who hurt Zane. He now had closure to know that his brother was not cursed at all. There was a family feud between the Julien's and Elaine's families, and each child swore an oath of revenge, but isolated himself and Zane from them to keep his son away from the nasty business.

The siblings were forced to strike too early because Zane realized the clouds were always appearing in front of the ventilators, and never anywhere else. As for the blood from his eyes and other such gore, it was an illusion, and the poor Nindroid had been hacked into. Had he known about this matter prior to that day, perhaps he wouldn't have fallen subject to such as the mournful business that has been going on for years. Lloyd raises his head, realizing his death would, of course, be too slow, and puts both hands together, forming a green ball, hoping to attract the monsters, for light will draw them nigh.

"This is too lonely, and too cold. I know the others will search for me so I might as well end it now," Lloyd says grimly as voices somewhere a bit away to the left call the green ninja's name. "You see? They did come."

As the green energy ball expands, Zane's body begins glowing with a faint blue tint. "Zane, are you…" Lloyd drops his mouth slightly agape, and he puts both hands on the ice ninja's chest, over his heart, sending the powers into him. Zane's entire body changes to how he was before, the rust leaving him, and the soot disappears like it had never touched him. Tears form in Lloyd's eyes and a few drip on the Nindroid's lovely 's blue eyes open, and his body becomes alive once again. "Zane."


End file.
